Cider Chat

Follow this podcast on Twitter @ciderchat Marie Tanaka is the owner of WineStyles Co., Ltd who along with Tsukasa Ono organized the largest cider fest in Japan to date called the Tokyo Cider Collection. The event was held this year on August 2nd and about 300 people attended with over 70 different types of ciders.   Marie says that they are already looking at a larger venue for next year’s event.      These two organizers chatted about the growing Japanese cider scene and the current cider drinker in Tokyo. Mr. Ono is the son of an orchardist and shares his perspective on the two apple growing regions:   Nagano Prefecture Aomori Prefecture   Japanese cider makers use both the French spelling for cider “cidre” and use French cidermaking techniques as well.   Marie described 4 types of cidermakers in Japan. brewery cooperatives winery orchards   The Nagano Prefecture apple committee sets the standard for the ciders that get the “Geographical Indications” or GI 100% apple in Nagano bottle fermented tank fermented no water or sugar   Marie says that there are, “A wide range of drinkers aging around 30 and women like the cider.” She continues with, "Women are interested in their beauty and taking an apple gets you healthy"   The Japanese cider scene is growing with the help of Marie and Mr. Ono.   There is even a pub that serves cider The Full Monty British Pub and Cider House     Contact info for Marie   田中　球絵　/Marie Tanaka 株式会社ワイン・スタイルズ Wine Styles Co.,Ltd 1F Ohata Bldg 3-40-10 Taito Taito-ku Tokyo 110-0016 tel&fax +81-3-3837-1313 URL:http://www.winestyles.jp email:info@winestyles.jp   Contact for Tsukasa Ono   mailto:tcwc@jcidre.com   Please Help Support Cider Chat's (Ria's) trip to the International Hall of Gala Ciders. I am sure I won't have this trip paid off for a while and every little bit counts. Please donate today. Social Media company mentioned in this chat We Are Pr - helping small business manage social media Donate to Cider Chat! Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio and where ever you love to listen to podcasts.    

Follow on twitter @ciderchat   Didier Bédu President of the Interprofession des Appellations Cidricoles (I.D.A.C.) for France speaks on the organization's criteria for the highly sought after appellation for Calvados and Pommeau. There are 320 producers of Calvados, with a 28 member board who then elect the president. There are the Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) regions for Calvados. Calvados Pays d'Auge Calvados Domfrontais For Pommeau there are three AOC regions.   1. Pommeau du Brittany 2. Pommeau du Normandy 3. Pommeau du Maine   For Cider or Cidre as spelled in France there is now three Appellation d'Origine Protégée AOP / AOC regions. The third region just attained status in June 2016. 1. Pays d' Auge (Normandy) 2. Cornouaille ( Britiany) 3. Contentin (Northwest Normandy)   For Perry there is one AOC - Poire Domfront Besides the long and lengthy process of attaining approval for the appellation Dider presented 3 main criteria for an AOC.   1. The Territory - can only do Calvados in a specific territory - Clay plays  an important role in Calvados 2. Local apples - French apple varieties 3. How it is distilled   What is Calvados? Calvados is the distillation of cider, aged in cask for a minimum of 2 years - there is no maximum Typical abv for calvados 40- 41%   What is Pommeau? Pommeau is an aperitif - mixture of french apple juice and young Calvados is aged in a cask of oak for a minimum 18 months  and the abv is between 16 or 18% No added sugar The fermentation is blocked by the addition of calvados The fresh juice and the calvados is mixed immediately   What is the main mission of I.D.A.C.? 1. To improve the quality   With every bottle sold that is has the appellation I.D.A.C. collects fees or small tax on every bottle sold. The money is used for technical research for constant improvement of the product and to advise the producer for the best quality   I.D.A.C. also publishes statistics on the products   And I.D.A.C. does promotion - meet the press, explain what the organizations does, has an international cocktail competition   How to drink Calvados? Have calvados as an aperative and with ice The IDAC website does have recipes   There is a Single cask Calvados which is considered too good to be blended - Single cask Calvadso is not reduced by water Made in a limited edition - maybe only a 100 bottles   Tasting notes for calvados: look for the fruit The consumer looks for the fruity side - which should always be present. young 2 years old very easy despite the long aging - you never lose this fruity aspect or fruity woody, spicy lots of different aromas after aging serve in a tulip glass - if neat (no ice) to be savored not a shot glass "Calvados can be combined it with a lot of things - enjoy with a cup of coffee, with cheese, square of chocolate, enjoy with a cigar" What is the perfect age - where you just want to drink after 6 drink Cider, Calvados and Pommeau tourism in France There are 20 -30 Calvados distilleries to visit There are 1.3 million visitors per year going to the French distilleries 150,000 visitors in Normandy alone Mentions in this chat: 049: Agathe Letellier | Manoir d’Apreval, France Jazz sous les Pommiers or Jazz Under the Apple Trees Fest takes place every year in Coutances during Ascension week (in May)   Calvados route through Normandy http://www.calvados-tourisme.co.uk/en/discover/tourist-trails/the-cider-route.php   Please Help Support Cider Chat's (Ria's) trip to the International Hall of Gala Ciders. I am sure I won't have this trip paid off for a while and every little bit counts. Please donate today. Social Media company mentioned in this chat We Are Pr - helping small business manage social media Donate to Cider Chat! Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio and where ever you love to listen to podcasts.        

Are you a cider fan? Then follow this podcast on twitter @ciderchat In this chat: Agathe Letellier is making cider, pommeau and calvados at her cidery Manoir d'Apreval in Pennedepie in Normandy, France. It is a coastal cidery just south of the port town of Honfleur. She describes it as a family domain that originally has farm animals, but when she arrived at the domain 18 years ago, she took the operation full on as an cidery. Her passion and conviction towards quality products for both her cider, calvados and pommel and her meals that are made for bus tour can be heard in this chat. What is in this chat? Agathe and I discuss the Normandy appellation for cider and if Brittany is included? Her ciders. The cider scene in France   Agathe says on being a cidermaker, "It is a very lively product! If you want to sleep well, don't make cider. If you want to be cool, don't make cider."   What is Mout? Fresh pressed apple juice When to visit? April to the end of September Afterwards the cidermakers are full on picking apples and gearing up to make cider. Contact info for Manoir D'Apreval Website: www.apreval.com Address: Pennedepie 14600 Telephone: France +33 (0)2 31 14 88 24 email: apreval@apreval.com Mentions in this chat 048: Heleen Noble & Eelco Huizinga | Appels en Peren, Netherlands Please Help Support Cider Chat's (Ria's) trip to the International Hall of Gala Ciders. I am sure I won't have this trip paid off for a while and every little bit counts. Please donate today. Social Media company mentioned in this chat We Are Pr - helping small business manage social media Donate to Cider Chat! Help keep the chat thriving! Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio and where ever you love to listen to podcasts.            

Appels en Perren is the first retail store in Amsterdam selling only Apple and Pear products from the Netherlands and European countries such as France, Germany and the UK. In this week's chat we speak with Heleen Nobel & Eelco Huzinga two of the proprietors of this wonderful spot where you can get your apple and pear on. It is an easy Tram ride from Amsterdam Centraal Train Station. Take Tram 4 or Tram 9 which you will find to your left as you step out of Amsterdam Centraal. If you can't find the Tram stop? Walk directly across the street from Centraal Station (don't cross the canal) and find the Tourist Information Center. Here you can buy Tram tickets, if you can't find the Tram ticket kiosks in Centraal Station. Once on the Tram no need to get off until the Rembrandtplein. The Rembrandtplein is a large green square surrounded by restaurants and coffeeshops of all types. Once off the Tram keep the square (Rembrandtpein) to your right. You will be walking in the same direction that the Tram just left you. Stay on this street and keep a look out for the small road on the left called Paardenstraat. The shop number is 7. It is a small street on the left. If you go too far just ask one of the friendly shop owners on the main street. Contact info for Appels en Perren info@appelsenperren.amsterdam website: http://cider.amsterdam/ Address: Paardenstraat 7 Amsterdam, NL 1017CX Hours: Wednesday - saturday 11: 00 - 7 pm Sunday 1 - 6 pm Telephone 020-3584545 - this is a Netherlands number so make sure to use country code 011 32 if calling using a US phone number Please Help Support Cider Chat's (Ria's) trip to the International Hall of Gala Ciders. I am sure I won't have this trip paid off for a while and every little bit counts. Please donate today. Social Media company mentioned in this chat We Are Pr - helping small business manage social media Donate to Cider Chat! Help keep the chat thriving! Mentions in this Chat: Amsterdam Koot Festival - Koot translates to Cooking in english and this festival takes place every August 002: Wouter Blijs | Cider Cider, Rotterdam, NL 024: Leonard Koningswijk | Bear Cider, NL Kröller-Müller Museum - this is located near Arnhem, NL and has free white bikes, amazing landscape and art work.  014: Joe Getz | Kurant Cider, Pennsylvania Follow on Twitter @KurantCider 035: Danielle von Scheiner | Big Apple Hard Cider, NYC Follow on Twitter @BigAppleCider Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts. Listen also at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher (for Android), iHeartRadio and where ever you love to listen to podcasts. Follow on twitter @ciderchat  

Simultaneous cider events! Oh My! In this chat I provide insider tips on: The 2016 CiderDays Schedule, held in Franklin County Massachusetts on the first week of November since 1994 Where to buy cider Where to find bulk sweet cider for sale - Bring you barrels Is this family friendly? You bet! Ticket events Free events Places and people you do not want to miss Link to download you CiderDays schedule for 2016 now! Listen to episode 046: Going to CiderDays | Massachusetts - providing tips on where to stay, where to pick up cidermaking supplies along the way and off the beaten tips for walks. Cider Chat epsiodes mentioned on this chat 003: Robert Colnes | Building a Ciderhouse The 2016 CiderDays is dedicated to Robert who passed away this spring. 016: John Bunker | Super Chilly Farm, Maine 028: John Bunker | Apple Identification I will be tweeting via @ciderchat and chatting more about events as we roll up to CiderDays 2016 Extra tidbits not on the schedule but mentioned on this chat November 4th a live recording with Ellen Cavelli of Tilted Shed Cider, California at Beerology in Northampton - time will be announced and an event invite will go out so like the Cider Chat Facebook page, because that is where I will be posting more info. Look for cider pouring at Seymours in Greenfield all weekend, but on friday I hope to be there after Darlene's presentation across the street. Need Breakfast while in Greenfield? Go to Denny's Pantry 469 Bernardston Rd, Greenfield, MA 01301, big breakfast for a good cost that only the locals really know about...until now. They don't have a website, but you can find more info on Yelp. Take a hike up Poet's Seat Tower in Greenfield. Please Help Support Cider Chat's (Ria's) trip to the International Hall of Gala Ciders. I am sure I won't have this trip paid off for a while and every little bit counts. Please donate today. Social Media company mentioned in this chat We Are Pr - helping small business manage social media Donate to Cider Chat! Help keep the chat thriving!  

With a bit of history on the oldest Cider Fest in the US held the 1st weekend of November. CiderDays (yes it has always been spelled as one word) was founded in 1994, by Judith and Terry Maloney or West County Cider in Colrain, Massachusetts. Listen to their son West County’s cidermaker in 001: Field Maloney | West County Cider, MA USA CiderDays is always held on the first weekend of November. For many years, it was a one day event. It took a few years, but before we knew it CiderDays became a two days and then three days. This podcast chat provides insider tips on traveling to CiderDays, places to stay, where to get cider and off beaten tips for this region. 047: Attending CiderDays provides info 2016’s  schedule, that chat goes live on September 21, 2016. Where you can get supplies to make your own cider or buy cider to take home. Tip: Place your order for cider supplies now – especially yeast! Beerology this is a brand new store and it will be open by CiderDays 2016 (Northampton, MA) – no longer open  Beer and Wine Making Supplies, Inc (Northampton, MA) – no longer open  Pine Hill Apple Orchard (Colrain, MA) also has a retail outlet with some cidermaking supplies and they sell bulk cider on CiderDays (usually 3-4 large cider blends so bring your carboys and barrels). CiderDays History The first CiderDays began as a one day event on the first saturday of November, the year was 1994. It has been held on the first weekend of November every year since. Of course the Maloney’s didn’t do this all alone, but they were certainly the catalyst. Local orchards like Pine Hill, Clarkdale Fruit Farm, the now closed Greenwood Orchard in Northfield, which I regretfully say had one of the most amazing assortment of cider trees around along with a beautiful old press was sold after the owner just couldn’t sustain the lack of interest in apples. Ug! Some of those trees are still there shrouded in vines. That orchard sold to folks who don’t care about apples. It happens. You can now stop in at so many more orchards to get a jug of cider or buy pear juice at Clarkdale for instance. Many sell  fresh apples – pears and you can also enjoy a walk in the orchard. One of the main source for CiderDays volunteers  was Valley Fermenters, consider to be the oldest homebrew club in the US. I was a member and as such I gladly volunteered to go out to a cider house in the region and stand ready with carboy, airlock and sweet cider to provide a demo on cidermaking. At the end of the day, we all congregated at the building next to Pine Hill which has since been turned into a residence. It was there that West County use to have a tasting room. A few of use showed up and Judith and Terry would provide a big round of cheese and we would all bring out our own bottles of cider. The chatter would grow louder and louder and eventually Judith would stand up on a chair and  thank the group and do a toast. Little did we know that that after party would eventually turn in to the two session Cider Salon that is sold out every year. In 1998, I was invited to the after after party/dinner at the Maloney’s. Their home is tucked up high on Catamount Hill. A catamount is another name for a mountain lion. There are many sightings of these big cats and just as many denials by the Fish and Wildlife department in Massachusetts. Driving north of Pine Hill Orchard in Colrain, make sure to look to the right as you go down a long steep and I mean steep hill. You’ll want to shift down and slow a bit, not only because of the hill but to see the beautiful life size metal shadow figure that is mounted on the side of the rocky hill that was cut in the form of a mountain lion.  If you see it, you too can say that you saw a Catamount! I certainly passed the lion on my way to the Maloneys, when I was invited to attend their special CiderDays after after dinner party with  local apple farmers like Ben Clark of Clarkdale Orchard and Dave Shear of Pine Hill Orchard.  Along with Paul Correnty who was the chef for many years at the Cider Dinner, up until the Maloney’s and the other organizers realized that a larger community dinner made sense for CiderDays. Paul is quick to a smile and also the author of The Art of Cidermaking (1998). Published in 1998, it was the first book I ever owned at the time on cidermaking and by the way he spelled cidermaking as one word. In that book are photos taken of local orchards that are still to this day involved in CiderDays. It was at that first dinner I attend, likely in 1998 cuz Paul was sitting next to me on a milk crate as there were no more chairs. We sat at a long table, with candles illuminating lots of cider smiles, bottles and jugs of cider and good conversation. It was then that I proclaimed out loud that I would really like to help promote apples and cider. And so I did, with many subsequent writes ups and features in Brewing News. I wrote the obituary for Terry Maloney when we lost him due to an industrial accident while working in his cidery in 2010. I had to really work hard to convince the editors to let me have space for cider in the well known beeriodical Brewing News, but they relented and now just this year all the writers for Yankee Brew News were told that they could put cider news in their regular beer column. I’m not precise on the date, but soon I was the only person teaching cidermaking at CiderDays.  For about two years in a row, I did a demo on saturday and sunday. On one of those Saturdays that was held back when the old brick building in Colrain was used. I remember seeing Terry watching me and then saw Mike Beck standing way in the back…I think shaking his head. I had brought along a big jug and bottles to share. I’m a bit of a rogue cider maker and at the time didn’t give a hoot about specific gravity or the science. Mike, probably thought I was crazy and he’d be right. But I also thought what up with this cidery from Michigan that is encasing their bottles is lime green? Of course that has changed, but back then – it was pretty wiggy branding for Uncle John’s Hard Cider. I taught cidermaking for the first 17 years of that event, but as my professional work as an international consultant in curriculum and conflict management became more demanding so much so that I had to pull back. Between 2008 and 2012 I was only able to do my demo at New Salem Preserves and that was about it. I barely had time to make my own cider, and as a result the quality in most recents years really declined. Which leads me to say,  “Yes getting sweet cider to ferment is easy to do. The work of nurturing and paying attention to the cider once you get it rolling requires time and a bit of skill”. I suspect I will get back to it and certainly will make cider this year, but not the same volume  that I use to make. My cider is now the voice of many around the world chatting about what you and I love to sip and savor. There are more stories to tell and I plan on collecting those during this coming CiderDays, so if you have one, please don’t be shy. I want to hear your tales. In this Cider Chat Franklin County is located in Western Ma – which is 75 miles to the west of Bos. Folks can fly into Logan airport, Manchester Airport in New Hampshire, the Providence Rhode Island airport and Bradley Field Airport in Ct. Any of these airports will drop you into a region where you can plot your own map to CiderDays. If you are traveling west on Route 2, pick up cidermaking supplies at NFG Home Brew Supply Shop (no sadly also closed) I would recommend fluing into Hartford (Bradley Field – BDL), because it is the closest, super easy to get around, with lots of choices for local hotels – and some nearby Beer stops with tasting rooms – note there aren’t that many cider hotspots. It’s an easy one hour drive up  interstate 91 to Franklin county. Or take Route 75 north and into Agawam and stop at Kaptain Jimmy’s. They are part of the Opa Opa Brew Label (yes this is owned by two greek brothers who came to the US with nothing more than a blanket) and they have built up a big beer empire locally. I like this place because they have great food, big pours and a distillery on site. Easy stop, affordable and on you go. Then pop on route 57 and it will take you back to Interstate 91 or go along the mighty Connecticut River and follow Route 5 all the way. That will drop you right smack into Northampton Massachusetts, where Smith College is located. As you are entering town on Pleasant Street you will see to your right Beerology at 324 Pleasant. This is a new home brew supply store own by husband and wife team Mike Schilling and Jordana Starr. Stop in and get your supplies at Beerology on the way in as they are really stoked to share their wealth of knowledge. Northampton is a college town and a very eclectic city with excellent coffee shops, beer bars, like The Foundry, Dirty Truth, and Sierra Grille. The Sierra Grille (no closed) has two dedicated cider taps. And I am talking with O’Brain Tomlin (who by the way is actor Susan Sarandon’s brother – cool right) he is a great dude in his own right believe me and he loves to talk about food. I expect he will be doing a cider menu that weekend, so stay tuned for last minute tips as we get closer to CiderDays. As you are rolling north on Route 5 out of Northampton you can stop in at Beer and Winemaking Supplies Inc – also a homebrew shop, incase you forgot some critical items like a carboy or a food grade plastic 5 gallon bucket to get some unpasteurized sweet juice that weekend. Also, this stretch of road has a  bunch of gas stations and further up on Route 5 you can hop back on Interstate 91 and sail north or if you decide to take the back way you will pass Big Y grocery store and then River Vally Market – which has a nice selection of food and a bit of cider. From here you are about 20 minutes to Greenfield and Franklin County. Franklin county spans both sides of the Connecticut River. There is a spectacular view at Mount Sugarloaf  which is a State Park. I don’t think you will be able to drive up this late in the season, but there is a nice hike that would take an hour of your time to get up and down. Here they filmed a Mel Gibson motion picture a couple years back now. Whatever…and many folks travel here to view the Ct River. You can see all the way south to Springfield. There is a great hike up the road, but I recommend taking the trail with its switchbacks and views along the way and then coming back down the road. Believe me it is worth it. You can then drive north from Sugar Loaf and pass into South Deerfield. that will take you back to Route 5 and in no time you will be in Old Deerfield. There are two big attractions right in South Deerfield, Yankee Candle which is a trippy tourist area, but it has lots of restrooms and a restaurant and then also the Butterfly museum. There is also a Red Roof Inn right off the highway here. This is not a bad location to land after a busy day, because you can fly right up the highway and manever about pretty easily from this spot. It is about a 10 minute drive up the road to downtown Greenfield. Deerfield Academy is located in the Heart of Old Deerfield or Historic Deerfield as some prefer to call it. This is where a lot of events have taken place over the years for CiderDays at the White Church, where we also hold our monthly Valley Fermenters meeting on the second thursday of every month. There is a ton of history here to see. A world class museum and the Deerfield Inn, if you have the bucks to stay here, they do have a very nice restaurant and the location is perfect for many CiderDays events. If you are just driving through this town you will see a ton of old New England homes and the Sheldon Hatchet Door. It is the original door that was there when during a very bloody 1704 Raid on the town. Check the link provided to find more info. Swing up north on Route 5 and soon you will be in Downtown Greenfield. Stop in at Seymour (no closed) a beer bar, that I know will have cider on hand – I expect they will be having a bit of a cidercentric selection all weekend. If you are looking for lodging during your stay check out Airbnb and also some of the fine Bnb’s  There are a bunch of selections. There is also a Hampton Inn, a Days Inn in Greenfield.  You might be caught having to look south in Amherst and Hadley for lodging or even Northampton. But don’t worry, it is all pretty darn drivable and as this is considered the 5 college area there are lots of cheap darn good eats to find too.. As I said earlier Franklin County covers a very wide area. You will hear folks calling the hill towns of Colrain and Shelburne Falls ” West County” and some think this is the Berkshires, but in the end it is all still Franklin County. Do know there is lodging also in Shelburne Falls and out this way on Route 2, which is also called the Mohawk Trail. In Shelburne Falls, you have to see the Bridge of Flowers, which was an old trolley track that is now adorn with flowers and lovely to walk year round. This town has also been  used for filming major motion pictures like the Judge and Labor Day. But I know it as a great place to walk about and get a good bite to eat, view the Pothole area south of the bridge that connects Shelburne Falls and Buckland across the river and get a cone of ice cream before heading home. Dinner Options: Blue Rock Have treat at Mo’s Fudge Factory Recommended hike in Shelburne area: High Ledges (approximately 1 hour back and forth) While you are up at High Ledges, you will pass by a sign that says Wheel-View Farm (no closed). This is also a cidery and has a Tasting Room. Check with their webpage to find timing. Coming up from Northampton or Pittsfield, Ashfield’s Elmer Store serves food and has wifi.

Dr. John Cline and Derek Plotkowski chat on the study of pomes, i.e., Pomology and their current research on cider apples. They are based at the University of Guelph in Ontario Canada. John Cline               Pomology and Cider in Ontario The Ontario Craft Cider Association approached Dr. Cline looking for access to cider varieties and to get an understanding of how they would grow in Canada. Cline and Plotkowski, are researching the horticultural aspects of growing these cider varieties in Canada, such as; How productive are they? What might be the issues facing the cider apple trees selected? How to they work with the root stock M9? What are their disease and insect susceptibility? How prone are they to winter injury in Canada? Apples and Cider in Canada – Research  The results of this research and starting data should begin to show preliminary information in 2017. Says Dr. Cline, “In Canada apples are second to blueberries in terms of fruit crops. In terms of tree crops they are number 1” Derek Plotkowski               Derek is working towards his Ph. D. in pomology. He studied previously at Cornell University in New York State. While in France, he took a “Terroir Management” course. Go to 43 minutes in to the start of this conversation. “When you are taking about terroir you are talking about a very specific spot” – Derek What is the difference between a young tree vs an older tree? Between 1-4 years, the fruit is softer and apples do not store as well The goal is to have trees  producing more fruits and yielding a higher crop load on the tree and consistent size. The pomologist are studying, young trees grown in a high density orchard: They take leaf samples (mid July) to assess the nitrogen concentration in a plant. What is the  nitrogen range for apple trees? They are looking to find 2.2% nitrogen on a dry matter leaf. If that is lower than 2.2, orchardist will work towards increasing the nitrogen for that tree. Too much nitrogen lends to poor quality Says Derek, “The cidermaker is taking care of the juice as a medium for yeast” Contact info for Dr. Cline and Derek Plotkowski Dr. John Cline eMail: jcline@uoguelph.ca  Faculty Page: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/jcline Map: Click here http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/people-and-places/research-sites/simcoe-station Webpage: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/treefruit/ Derek Plotskowski eMail: dplotkow@uoguelph.ca Derk’s grad student profile: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/treefruit/teaching/grad/current.html Mentions in this Cider Chat International Organization of Wine and Vine La Sidra Donate to Cider Chat! Help keep the chat thriving! via my Pateron page.

Meet Sebastian Lousada Flag Hill Farm makers of what they call Vermont Organic Hard Cider, is fully off the grid, certified organic, and producers of both cider and Pomme-de-vie AND I bet you haven’t heard of it! So Grab a Glass and Join in Chat with the cider maker, Sebastian Lousada as we discuss his journey to cider and the products he makes today! Flag Hill is an OG in the US Cider Market Sebastian originally hails from the UK, but he has been making cider before 1984. Back then he planted 50 standard trees the first year, wanting to just have some apples. As he and his family were living on top of Flag Hill, a high mountain location, they decided to plant 100 more trees in 1989. Being certified organic encouraged he and his wife Sabra Ewing to begin selling cider. Sebastian Lousada In 1996, Flag Hill Farm became bonded as a winery. Sebastian mentions that back then people had no idea what cider was or that it even had alcohol in it. Thus they decided to spell their product as Cyder, with a “Y” to differentiate it from other products. Flag Hill’s ciders are available in VT, MA and throughout New England. “On a good year we make 4000 gallons of cider. Because we only want to use apples that we have grown.” Flag Hill Farm’s Cider Sapsucker – named a Belgian Beer Style 9% Vermont Still Cyder 8.5% Vermont Sparkling Cider 9.5% Pomme-de-Vie, Flag Hill Farm’s was inspired by the French apple brandy Calvados. The distillation room for Flag Hill’s Pomme-de-vie Contact info for Flag Hill Farm Website: http://www.flaghillfarm.com/ Sebastian Lousada at Flag Hill Farm orchard hill top Like this chat? Join in and support Cider Chat's quest to continue to keep #ciderGoingUP - Join the Cider Chat's Patreon Page. It is easy, secure and makes a bushel of difference for keeping this podcast rolling out future shows like this one with Sebastian! 

Colin Davis is Production Manager and cidermaker at Shacksbury, a cidery based in northern Vermont in the town of Shoreham.  Shacksbury was incorporated in 2013 and began selling ciders in 2014. Unlike many new startups that focus locally, the decision was made early on, to sell broadly. David and Colin Shacksbury Beginnings The immediate success of Shacksbury can be credited to both Colin Davis and his business partner David Dolginow. They hit the road running by creating a formidable team with the likes of Simon Day from the UK’s Once Upon a Tree and Ainara Otaño, a Basque cider maker from Petritegi . The Basque collaboration with Ainara is now bottled in Spain.  Shacksbury’s Arlo, Farmhouse, and Classic ciders are all blended with a Spanish base cider and their own Vermont cider. There is also a base blend that is pre fermented in the UK and shipped to the US.  Simon and Colin work with the Dragon Orchard in England, a 40 acre orchard and decide together what apples go in the base cider. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is all imported cider. Sunrise Orchards is a local Vermont orchard that they work with, as well as, having planted their own trees with scion wood from the Poverty Lane Orchards. Shacksbury Cider Production Barn Happenings and Future Plans Lost Apple Project,  using local apples found on “feral trees” in the Vermont backwoods. As they find the perfect apple that tastes just right they are trying to propagate new trees. What is new for Shacksbury? A tasting room in being built and should be ready for 2017. A new selection of canned ciders is in the works for 2017 Contact info for Shacksbury Cider Website: https://www.shacksbury.com/ Mentions in this Cider Chat John Bunker _ listen to episode 16 with John and 28 where John details his Apple Identification tips #PickCider is the United States Association of Cider Makers campaign to get Americans to “pick cider” to have with their Thanksgiving meal. Stay tuned to what is sure to be a very fun and productive campaign. Eric Bordelet Along Came A Cider 3 part blog on Vermont cideries – here is the link to Part 3 with mentions of Shacksbury. Keep #ciderGoingUP - become a Patron via the Cider Chat Patreon page

Jennifer Smith the Executive Director of New York Cider Association and Sara Grady Founder of NY Cider Week discuss the state's commitment to cider and upcoming events. I sat down for a chat with these two women who are cider beacons for the Empire State. We were all attending Cider Feast 2016 a Food Karma Project created by restauranteur and all around good guy and one of my picks for NYC's Best of the Best Publicans around award Jimmy Carbone of Jimmy's No. 43. CiderFeast was held alongside the East River near the upper East Village. We sat on three chairs with a bottle of Bone Dry Cider from the Brooklyn Cider House. With cups in hand we kept on talking through the noise of a biplane taking off on the river besides us and the sounds of the city. The New York Cider Association is comprised of a 9 member board. The members are growers, cidermakers and work on a sustainable farming culture. The New York Cider Association is a non for profit.  It has memberships for cideries producing between: 1 and 5K Gallons 5 - 25K 25 - 250K and 250 and up Additionally, NYCA has memberships for growers, associated industries such as distributors and equipment suppliers, cideries-in-planning, and enthusiasts. NYCA' cider goal is increase tourism, cider and apple marketing, provide assistance with value added capital grants, and work towards making it easier for cideries to get licensed. The Association does get help of the  Empire State Development Cider Week in New York grew out of the Cider Project a Hudson Valley an Apple Exchange with NY and French cideries (listed below). CiderWeekNY was started in 20111. The NY Association grew out of Cider week. What is cider and how is the Association informing consumers? By working with professionals in the beverage trade and working towards making them ambassadors for cider Jenn Smith's tips on forming a Cider Association: Being open to a diversity of communication styles. Build time into your life for the spontaneous and important educational conversations. Anticipate opportunities for bringing together your cidermakers, showcasing their services to the consumer audience. Cider Weeks in New York State Cider Week NYC was started in 2011-will be held October 21st through the 30th for 2016 Cider Week Hudson Valley (CiderWeekHV) in June Cider Week Finger Lakes (CiderWeekFLX) also in October. For 2016 October 1- 9th Contact Jennifer Smith, Executive Director of New York Cider Association email: nyciderassociation@gmail.com Contact Sara Grady, Vice President of Programs | Glynwood email: sgrady@glynwood.org Mentions in this chat Colette Rossant in Le Perche, France. Cideries included in the Cider Project Cidrerie Traditionnelle du Perche, La Maison Ferré, La Ferme du Chêne, Domaine du Ruisseau . And Calvados: Cave Coopérative de Calvados du Perche Sabine Hrechdakian, who produced Cider Week with Sara Grady in the first few years, she is a partner in Wassail, a cider bar in NYC. Alec Steimetz of Buskey Cider in Richmond Virginia, provided an update on the new Richmond Virgina cidery Buskey Cider. Listen to Alec's chat Episode 023 via iTunes http://apple.co/1MBZoGW Ria will be taping an chat with Normandy cidermaker Eric Bordelet this September. Become a Patron of Cider Chat via https://www.patreon.com/ciderchat?ty=h and be part of the behind the scenes taping of this very special chat with this world renown cider man.